Thrust-bearing for propeller-shafts



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GORDON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

TH RUST-BEARING FOR PROPELLER-SHAFTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,923. dated June 14, 1881.

Application led July 20, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GORDON, of the city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, have invented an Improved Thrust-Bearing for Propeller-Shafts; and Ido hereby declare that the followiiigs a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved thrustbearing for the ends ot' such propeller-shafts as are mounted in line with the travel of the vessel, and in which the power or pressure which moves the vessel through the water is derived from the rotation of a screw on the shaft and is transmitted through the medium of thrust-bearings to the vessel.

It consists in -the employment of pivot-hear ings attire ends of the propellershaft against which the pressure is exerted, andin trans mittingl the forward pressure of the shaft to the vessel through the medium of a bulk-head or other permanent object which is attached permanently to the vessel, so that the only thrust-bearing employed is against the pivot on the end of the shaft.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l shows a longitudinal section through the stern of a vessel with my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a section in detail of the bearing-block with the water-chamber behind it.

Let A represent the stern portion of a vessel in which the propeller-shaft is mounted. Bis the stern-post. Inside of this vessel I construct a bulk-head or other permanent object, C, so that it will form an integral part of the hull of the vessel. This bulk-head is located just in front of the forward end of the propeller-shaft, and is high enough to pzrmit the end of the shaft to abut against it.

The propeller-shaft D, I mount in ordinary boxes, E E, on the upper ends of standards F, and the crank G, to which the power is applied to rotate the shaft, is formed between these two bearings. The ends of this shaft I make conical or otherwise form so that its extremities will form points or pivots. The forward pointed end, c', of the shaft presses against a suitable hearing-face on the bulk-head C, so that the entire pressure exerted by the screw will be transmitted by the pivot-point against the hulk-head, and thus press the vessel forward. The rear end, o, of the shaft is simi larly pivoted in or against the sternpost, as shown, so that in backing the vessel the pressure will be transmitted by a like pivot-bearing.

The bearing-faces against which the pivots are pressed can he made of any durable mate rial, and either fixed solidly in the bulk-head and stern-post or merely secured in a cavity in them. In the latter case I make a chamber, Z, behind the bearing-block M, as shown at Fig. 2, and in this chamber I introduce water or other liquid by means of a pump, by which means I am able to regulate the pressure of the pivots against their bearin gs.

By mounting the propeller-shaft in this way I avoid a large amount of friction which mustbe overcome in the thrust-bearings now in use, and the power and pressure is applied in a direct manner to drive the vessel forward.

The stern-post pivot might be dispensed with and other bearings used in its place, as it is only required in backing the vessel and is seldom used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the propeller-shaft D, ofthe bearing-block M, with a chamber, l,

arranged behind it, for the purpose specied,`

substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my h'and and seal.

JOHN GORDON. [L. s.] Witnesses:

G. D. COLE, J. H. BLOOD. 

